Abstract:
This is a collection of eight short stories, all of which deal on some level with
alienation and the struggle to find meaning in one's life. Although most of the stories deal
with issues related to women or feature female protagonists, I did not set out to create a
political tract, but to portray the lives of women around me as realistically as possible.
Many of the stories have dark endings, but I also would like the reader to come away with
some sense of possibility and hope. I have named the collection "Empire" after what I
believe may be the strongest story in the group. I also felt the concept of "empire" was a
fittingly ambitious title for a collection by a new writer.
Almost all of the stories are written in limited third person point of view, offering a
glimpse into the mind of one particular character, who usually achieves some kind of
enlightenment by the story's end. In "The Israeli Friend," a woman realizes her mentally ill
friend is more capable of giving than she is. The protagonist of "Burn Camp" learns,
through volunteering at a camp for disfigured children, that his good intentions can only
go so far and he can never truly remove the pain of another person. Most of these stories
are introspective, concentrating on the realizations of one individual rather than forcing
action through dramatic events. Nevertheless, I set out to achieve some kind of forward
momentum and keep the reader interested. I am attempting to show, through detail and
characterization, flawed human beings trying to lead honorable lives.
